Battle of Joetsu
The Battle of Joetsu, also known as the Joetsu Landing, was the first offensive operation of the postwar JSDF operation during the Honshu War, as well as the first major shift in the front, starting a campaign which would see the capture of the Seki River valley before the end of winter. The JSDF would hold this newly captured territory, though JSDF forces were unable to take the passes leading to Nagano. Background After the failed Shogunate offensive at the Battle of Lake Hamana and the Battle of Mt. Fuji, the front lines in the Honshu devolved into a stalemate where neither side to push their way through the heavily defended mountain passes. With land attacks failing to make gains, commander of the JMSDF Fleet Admiral Hoashi Etsuya, a veteran of the Ryukyu War proposed an amphibious landing to take the Shogunate-held city of Joetsu, located on the north coast of Japan, just west of the front lines in the war. A naval assault on the north side of Honshu had the advantage of hitting the Shogunate where their navy was the weakest, as they were unable to transport their main fleet, including all of their pre-war warships around Honshu, as they were cut off by the postwar-Japanese state to the north and the Communist Party of Japan to the south, both of which were hostile to the Shogunate. This essentially trapped the Shogunate navy south of Honshu, leaving only a few light to medium patrol vessels to defend Joetsu. On July 14th, the Diet approved the operation, which was set to begin on August 7th, 2256. Bombardment and Initial Landings On August 7th, 2256, 21 F80J fighter jets, along with 15 light aircraft were transferred to JSDF Niigata, the pre-war Niigata airport, and the nearest intact airfield controlled by the post-war Japanese government to the northern Honshu front. At the same time, a fleet of 20 large vessels and 81 smaller boats (including landing craft, gunboats, and patrol boats) set sail from Hakodate Niigata. On August 8th, the assault began with aerial attack on known Shogunate positions, with artillery batteries, troop concentrations, and command positions being priority targets. The JSDF had more surviving pre-war aircraft than the Shogunate, who were forced to keep most of their air forces near their capital in Kyoto, so the JSDF quickly gained air superiority. Of the 15 Shogunate aircraft that attempted to respond, eight, including two of their three fighters were shot down and the rest forced to retreat. The JSDF lost four light attack aircraft and one F-80 to ground fire. In addition to the air attacks, JSDF artillery near Kashiwazaki, located just to the east of the mountains that marked the northern frontline opened fire on known Shogunate positions. Starting around 1000 hours, the JSDF fleet, starting with the three missile boats and the frigate JS Tachikaze launched attacks on any Shogunate boats, mostly light patrol vessels and no pre-war warships, using the superior targeting systems designed to fire on targets at sea to hit the boats with their guns from beyond the range of the improvised weapon mounts on the Shogunate patrol vessels. As the Shogunate had no large vessels in the area, anti-ship missiles were employed. By 1100 hours, the main Japanese assault fleet was steaming towards the beaches at Joetsu, led by the destroyer Shinsekai and frigates Tachikaze and Amatsukaze. The pre-war warships used their superior maneuverability, as well as their pre-war CIWS systems, capable of intercepting incoming artillery shells to great effect, drawing fire from surviving shogunate artillery batteries, which betrayed their positions and made the easy targets for the warships' guns or aircraft flying overhead. With the artillery suppressed, first assault wave began. The Daisetsuzan-class fire support ships, container ships modified to carry heavy artillery for attacking shore targets, JS Yotei and JS Asahi opened fire on Shogunate positions on shore near the landing ground at Kakizaki with their 203mm and 155mm howitzers, as well their two 300mm MLRS. The assault began at 1300 hours, with ship unloading over 60 landing craft and dozens of amphibious vehicles, as smaller gunboats and VTOL aircraft moved in to support the attacking forces. At the same time, JSDF airborne forces arrived by helicopter and VTOL, taking Shogunate positions on the ridgeline. While many of the heavier weapons had been disabled by air and artillery strikes, JSDF forces landed under heavy fire from entrenched Shogunate forces in the ruins of the abandoned pre-war houses located along the coast. The rubble provided excellent positions for snipers, machine guns, and missile launcher positions, resulting in the loss of one gunboat, six landing craft, and 236 JSDF infantry. With the support of gunboats and Umidori and CV-80 VTOL aircraft, as well as several M51 amphibious infantry fighting vehicles, the JSDF managed to clear the ruined houses of the roughly 400 Shogunate defenders, nearly all of which were killed in battle. Attempts by Shogunate infantry and armored vehicles to reinforce the beaches were thwarted by air strikes and accurate artillery fire from gunboats just off shore, allowing the JSDF to secure a beachhead by 1530 hours, allowing heavier vehicles, including a company of tanks to be unloaded on the beach. By 1800 hours, two companies of tanks and over 4000 infantry were ashore at Kakizaki, and JSDF forces had reached as far as four kilometers inland, breaking out of the dense pre-war development into the farmland beyond and effectively clearing the area south and east of the Kakizaki River. At the same time, the airborne forces cleared the pass Komura Pass, located south of the mountain peak of Yoneyama, allowing the JSDF armor to push through the pass and meet up with the amphibious forces along the other side, providing more supplies and securing a direct land route into the Joetsu area. Drive to the Southwest On night of August 7th-8th, 2256, JSDF forces held back a Shogunate counterattack at the Kakizaki River and, at 0600 on the next day, continued their advance across the Kakizaki River, with their primary objective being the road leading across the mountain pass south of the peak of Ogamidake. While both the mountain and the top of the pass were taken by VTOL-borne forces the previous day, the crossroads on the west side of the pass, at Kakizaki-ku remained in Shogunate hands. Two companies of tanks and a battalion of infantry approached Kakizaki-ku from the north-northwest, moving in from the beachhead at the mouth of the Kakizaki River, while an infantry battalion and a single armored company pushed across the Ogamidake pass, attacking from the west. From 0600 to 0615 hours, Kakizaki-ku was hit by a short artillery barrage, before the armored and infantry forces attacked, with the tanks providing cover. A tank company and company of mechanized infantry swept to the west of the village of Kakizaki-ku, flanking and surrounding it, while the rest of the force assaulted the town. In the fighting, most of the pre-war structures in the town were demolished by heavy weapons fire, and by 0700 hours, the roughly company-sized force of Shogunate troops retreated from the crossroads, into the hills and low mountains to the south. After taking Kakizaki-ku, JSDF advance was slowed, as they were faced with a series of low hills and mountains with only a single road through Tsuitachi Pass. For the rest of the day, the eastern force was bogged down in heavy fighting in the mountains, the tanks reduced to acting as mobile artillery. Further to the north and west, however, JSDF armored and mechanized infantry advanced quickly over open terrain consisting mostly of farmers fields. Fighting was heavier in the pre-war developed areas along the coast, however, the Shogunate defenders were eventually either eliminated for forced to retreat as the JSDF forces advancing over open terrain threatened to flank them. By 1200 hours, JSDF forces in the open area had pushed the Shogunate across the Hokura River, and secured several bridges, at the same time flanking the holdouts in the mountains near Tsuiachi Pass. On the westernmost flank, however, JSDF forces were halted at an an area of suburban development between the Hokura River and the coast. While they outnumbered the Shogunate forces defending the area, the Shogunate's superior defensive positions prevented further advance, forcing JSDF armor to exchange fire with Shogunate tanks and infantry with ATGMs and rockets, keeping that at a distance of between 1 and 2 kilometers. Over 100 JSDF infantry and eleven tanks and other vehicles were lost in the engagement, and while Shogunate losses were several times heavier, they held the JSDF up for six hours, from 1100 until 1700 hours, at which point the Shogunate troops, having placed explosives on the bridges over the Hokura, retreated across the river and destroyed the bridge. At about 1830 hours, after artillery and air attacks on the development, finally advanced into the suburban development. By 2000 hours, the only Shogunate forces remaining east of the Hokura River were in the mountains around Tsuitachi Pass and in narrow pocket of resistance in a pre-war industrial area between the Hokura and the coast. On the 9th of August, the JSDF advance continued, pushing across the Hokura River on the southeast flanks of the Shogunate forces and surrounding the Shogunate troops in the pocket of resistance in the mountains, the last of which would surrender or, in many cases given the Shogunate's ideology, which frowned on surrender, be eliminated in battle on August 11th. The pocket near the coast would hold out for three day in heavy urban combat, until August 11th, after being subjected to days of artillery bombardment. With the exception of the pockets of resistance, JSDF forces had pushed south of the Iita River on the south flank of the assault, while further north and west the Shogunate were driven back across the Seki River by August 10th Taking Joetsu On August 11th, 2256, JSDF forces on the north side of the assault finally pushed the last Shogunate forces across the Seki River and taken northeastern Joetsu after repeated artillery barrages and air strikes, as well as urban fighting that killed over 150 JSDF soldiers. This fighting allowed Shogunate forces to destroy most of the bridges on the Seki River north of the pre-war Hokuriku Expressway, creating a stalemate in the south part of the city where the JSDF could not attempt to repair the bridges or ford the river under the heavy fire of Shogunate defenders on the west bank, but the Shogunate were likewise unable to push back the JSDF force. In the south, however, a JSDF armored battalion led a thrust that took control of two bridges over the Seki to the south of Joetsu, allowing them to cross. The southern attacking force was slowed by heavy Shogunate resistance from in the suburbs south of Joetsu and surviving Shogunate artillery in the mountains to the west. After a day of heavy fighting, the JSDF managed to surround and clear out the suburbs and push to the front of the mountains to the west, while air and artillery strikes silenced the surviving guns in the mountains. The last pocket of resistance in the area south of Joetsu but north of Myoko, located near the pre-war Wakinoda train station was taken late on August 12th. At this point, the city of Joetsu was surrounded from the south and east, trapped between the mountains and the JSDF. On August 13th, 2282, JSDF south of their assault from the south and southeast across the Seki and Yashiro Rivers into the pre-war residential areas southern part of the city, starting in the early hours of the morning with heavy aerial and artillery bombardment from both land-based batteries and naval gunfire. At 0700 hours, the first JSDF armored elements moving into position and began engaging surviving Shogunate positions in the ruined city. The eastern attacking force was tasked with taking bridge over the Yashiro River, a tributary of the Seki, while the western force was to push through the residential area to a pre-war train station. The fighting was by far the heaviest in the dense urban area on the western attack force, with JSDF forces being forced to demolish Shogunate strong points with tank gun and handheld rocket fire, before infantry moved in to clear the structures. During this battle, JSDF force were often forced into close combat using grenades, combat shotguns, and flamethrowers, or even hand-to-hand combat, as surrounded Shogunate forces would often make a final charge with swords and bayonets after having run out of ammunition. The JSDF advance in the west moved slowly, costing the lives of over 400 JSDF soldiers and at least twice as many Shogunate ashigaru and samurai. In the heavy urban fighting, advances were slow, often as little as 100 meters or less per hour. After six hours of heavy fighting, at 1300 hours, the JSDF finally cleared the Minami-Takada station. The eastern assault intially advanced, until they were bogged down for two hours by fire from Shogunate positions across the river, including tanks and mortar emplaced near Takada castle, the seat of the daimyo of Joestu. At 0900 hours, the JSDF finally crossed the Yashiro River and cleared the enemy forces on the west side. At 1030 hours, JSDF forces had pushed the Shogunate forces back to what remained of Takada castle, a 20th century reconstruction of a 16th century Japanese castle, which the Shogunate used as the palace of the Daimyo of Joetsu. By this point, the castle, as well as the various pre-war buildings in the park at that surrounded it had been heavily damaged by artillery and airstrikes, as well as tank gun and rocket fire. JSDF forces would converge on and cross the moat of the castle at 1700 hours, seizing the ruined structure after heavy close-quarters fighting, most notably, as JSDF infantry neared one of the pre-war structures in the park surrounding the castle, several shogunate soldiers charged out of the entrance in a final suicide charge. When the building was cleared, the daimyo of Joetsu was found dead, having recently committed seppuku. Also on the 13th of August, JSDF infantry in northern Joetsu near the coast managed to cross the Seki River supported by artillery, VTOL aircraft, and tanks positioned on the opposite bank. They managed to secure a bridgehead and allow for barges to be brought in to allow tanks and other vehicles to cross near the mouth of the river. Reinforcement would also be deployed amphibiously to a seaside park on the west side of the river. Engineers were deployed to begin constructing a temporary pontoon bridge, which would not be completed until the afternoon of the 15th. By the end of the 13th, JSDF forces in North Joetsu had pushed three blocks west of the river, taking a pre-war train station. The death of the daimyo on the 13th did not end Shogunate resistance in Joetsu, with both the northern and southern forces continuing to encounter pockets of heavy resistance in the city throughout August 14th and 15th. By the end of the 15th, the northern force had crossed a canal about half a kilometer south of the coast and taken a pre-war hospital that had been fortified by Shogunate forces. The last major pocket of resistance was an area within several blocks of the pre-war city hall. This area was attacked from both the north and south starting on August 16th. After a day of heavy fighting, Shogunate forces were pushed to within a block of the city hall, which fell early on the 17th of August to an infantry assault supported by armor. The last pockets of resistance in the city would surrender or be eliminated on August 18th. Aftermath The last pocket of resistance in Joetsu, located near the pre-war city hall was finally captured, ending eleven days of heavy fighting in the city. During the battle, much of the city, which was small enough to have escaped destruction in the nuclear exchange of 2077, was devastated, with many pre-war buildings, including the corner tower of Takada Castle, a 20th century reconstruction of a 16th century castle, which the Shogunate used as part of the complex of the daimyo of Joetsu was destroyed by artillery and tank gun fire, with only the stone foundation surviving. The capture of Joetsu would not be the end of combat in the region, with the Siege of Myoko effectively beginning as soon as Joetsu was taken. The JSDF would take Myoko but their advance would be halted at the Battle of Myokokogen, where Shogunate succeeded in defending the mountain pass leading south to Nagano. After this battle, the front would again stabilize on line located roughly at the pre-war boundary between the Niigata and Nagano prefectures. Category:Battles Category:Events